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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rule — government
  5. field — farmland
  6. track — a song
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pound — a weight
  9. foot — a measure
  10. field — for sport
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. track — a path
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. field — a subject
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mate — a friend
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rule — a law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com